Not just 12 praise songs but scores of them will pack the 3-day International Thanksgiving event of the Members Church of God International. Expectedly, a number of these songs are products of the ASOP song writing competition.

MCGI International Thanksgiving is a quarterly worldwide event where congregants offer praises and thanksgiving to God through songs and hear biblical topics delivered by the MCGI preachers. Attendees from abroad participate in the event through live streaming.

Photo courtesy of Eldon Bite

Praise Song is Older than Earth

“Music is older than the world, and praise songs are the oldest of musical kinds,” revealed Bro. Eli Soriano during the ASOP TV Finals Night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum last Monday.

Bro. Eli is the Presiding Minister to MCGI and the mind behind ASOP Music Festival. The contest was conceptualized for TV by Bro. Daniel Razon, MCGI Vice-Presiding Minister.

Bro. Eli explained that when God made the Earth, the angels sang and shouted for joy. That song, he added, was a music of praise to God. He read Job 38:7.

ASOP History

Singing songs of praises and thanksgiving to God is an essential part of MCGI gatherings. In 2004, Bro. Eli announced that the organization is holding a song writing competition to encourage Church members to produce original praise song compositions; thus, the birth of A Song of Praise Music Festival.

Photo courtesy of Rovic Balunsay

ASOP became an anticipated yearly event since then, organized by the organization’s Music Ministry. Its success urged Bro. Eli to make the competition a biannual event inside MCGI.
ASOP on TV

Songs about friendship, long-lost love, adultery, longing, and even of things like horses, guitar and bread are congesting the mainstream media.

But “we lack songs of praise,” Bro. Eli said. So he asked Bro. Daniel to conceptualize a TV version of ASOP.

In August 2011, an ASOP concert was held where some of the country’s best performing artists interpreted the contest winners from 2004 to mid-year of 2011. ASOP TV was simultaneously launched that night and started its airing on UNTV by early September of the same year.

ASOP TV Winners

On its year 1, ASOP TV has received hundreds of entries from professional and amateur song writers. Twelve best songs vied in the grand finals last September 24 where Purihin Mo ang Dios Oh Pilipinas of Antonio Estrella, Jr. was adjudged 2012 Song of the Year. The song was interpreted by Universal Records artist Gail Blanco.

The other song finalists were I Will Still Praise You of Rigor Jay Arellano, Ikaw ang Ngayon, Bukas at Kailanman of Christian Obar, Be My Everything of Jessa Mae Gabon, Sa’Yo of Marlon Nabia, Purihin Ka ng Aking Luha of Gerwin Villa, Sa Iyo Aking Ama of Alex de Guzman, and The Sweetest Moment of Edwin Marollano.

The ASOP TV album – distributed for free – was under the musical arrangement of Mr. Vehnee Saturno and released under Universal Records.

ASOP Songs at MCGI International Thanksgiving

Attendees of the MCGI International Thanksgiving to God are hopeful to see special performances of some of the ASOP TV grand finals entries during the 3-day event.

Moreover, in its list of thanksgiving songs to be offered by members coming from different groups, In This Journey, one of the ASOP song of the year awardees, is to be performed by a group of Church members from abroad called Foreign Ministry.

As MCGI reaps souls in various countries, praise songs are also translated into different languages that proves one realization of Bro. Eli’s hopes for people to desire singing not just songs about love or material things but of praises and thanksgiving to God.